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Madison commission moves to draft RFP for long‑overdue Natural Resource Inventory
Summary
The Madison Conservation Commission agreed to draft a request for proposals for a Natural Resource Inventory (NRI), discussed likely costs and timeline, and asked staff to share RFP examples and the state minimum requirements. Commissioners also debated whether to include tree‑management and heat‑island analyses.
The Madison Conservation Commission on Wednesday began planning a request for proposals to produce a Natural Resource Inventory the town is required to update every 10 years.
Chair Heather said the commission’s goal is to complete the NRI in 2025 and that planning staff have earmarked funding contingent on an RFP and a formal cost estimate. “We are required by the state of Connecticut to, have an update, natural resource inventory every 10 years,” Heather said, urging members to decide which sections they want consultants to produce.
Erin, the town planner, told the commission the procurement could go out as an RFP or a combined request for qualifications and proposals and recommended using example RFPs from other towns as a starting point. Erin said typical municipal practice is to post on the state bid page and the town website and let consultants respond publicly.
Heather said a local consultant she spoke with, Jim Nordgren, provided a ballpark estimate: “He says he thinks it will cost us between 20 and $50,000.” Commissioners debated scope tradeoffs: some favored a more comprehensive inventory that includes wildlife mapping, tree‑canopy analysis and heat‑island benchmarks, while others urged the commission balance detail against the cost and future update burden.
Members discussed technical choices for deliverables — interactive maps versus narrative reports — and the need for some field verification of GIS data. Erin recommended drafting the scope and examples and suggested an August RFP release with a consultant on board by October as a realistic schedule if the commission wants work done by next year.
Next steps: Erin will circulate example RFPs and the statutory minimum requirements the state sets for NRIs; commissioners will review examples and return recommendations for scope and desired deliverables.
The commission did not take a final vote on contracting at the meeting.
